HP rolls out webOS software update for TouchPad

An HP executive on Twitter says webOS 3.0.2 is being pushed to tablets starting on Monday.

A webOS software update for Hewlett-Packard's TouchPad tablet will be delivered over-the-air starting on Monday, a company executive said on Twitter.

The TouchPad has been criticized for its slow performance and HP said it would deliver a webOS software update for the tablet to run faster.

"It's in the pipeline ... starting to roll out this morning," wrote Richard Kerris, vice president, worldwide developer relations for webOS at HP, in a Twitter message Monday morning.

HP declined to offer further details, saying information on the software update and specific features would be provided at a later time.

"We're focused on ensuring an excellent experience on TouchPad, and we're addressing as much of the early performance feedback as possible to deliver the experience customers expect. While we haven't given a specific time of when the OTA will occur, customers can expect it shortly," said Sara Coughlin, an HP spokeswoman, in an e-mail.

HP started shipping the TouchPad July 1 with webOS 3.0, which was announced earlier this year. A US$449 TouchPad model includes a 9.7-inch screen, 1.2GHz dual-core ARM processor, Wi-Fi and 16GB of storage, while a 32GB model is $549. The original prices for the 16GB and 32GB TouchPads were $499 and $599, respectively, but HP is currently providing "instant rebates" of $50 on both models in an attempt to attract buyers.

Users have criticized the tablet's performance and weight when compared to Apple's iPad or Samsung's Galaxy Tab, but the TouchPad has found buyers in early adopters and those who have Palm smartphones, which also use webOS.

HP has also said it would release a 4G TouchPad tablet for AT&T's wireless network in the U.S., but has not given a release date. That version of the tablet includes upgraded hardware such as a 1.5GHz processor.